Pipe-wrench.



A. ALLISON 6L J. W. KEY. PIPE WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1915.

Patented Mar. 14,1916.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (10., WASHINGTON, n. c.

ii erase an cri ic.

ARTHUR ALLISON AND JOHN WALTER KEY, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA;

PIPE-WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR ALLISON and JOHN VVALTER KEY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Taft, in the county of Kern, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Wrenches,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe wrenches, and particularly to wrenchesadapted for handling heavy and large pipe; and it is a primary object,among others, to provide a wrench with which the pipe may be stronglyengaged without danger of crushing or distorting the pipe.

We accomplish our objects primarily by the provision of a flexible pipeengaging jaw which will adjust itself to different sizes of pipe andwhich will lie in close and intimate contact with the surface of thepipe, affording good engagement therewith over a comparatively largearea; so that, although great traction on the pipe-is secured, thepressure required to secure this traction is spread over a large area onthe pipe and crushing or distortion is thereby obviated.

The particular features of our invention,

and the advantages and utilities thereof, are

best explained in the following specification, reference being had tothe accompany ing drawings, in which, for the purpose of thisspecification, we illustrate a preferred and specific form of ourinvention, and in which drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view showingour wrench applied to a pipe, Fig. 2 is a view taken as indicated byline 22 on Fig. 1,'

and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail taken from Fig. 1. y

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a pipe about which our wrenchmay be engaged; the pipe shown in the drawings being one of relativemedium size. It will be understood that our wrench will engage the pipeof greatly varying sizes. We provide a suitable lever handle 11 0fanydesired length; and to this handle we pivot preferably a air of jawsupporting memhere 12, said members. being preferably pivoted at thesame point 13asshown in the drawings. As herein stated, it is of theessence of our invention to provide a flexible pipe engaging jaw, and itis necessary to provide some sort of movable support for the ends orother parts of this flexible en- Serial No. 20,729.

gaging jaw. iVe prefer to provide these movable or adjustable jawsupporting members in the form of the pivoted members 12, as shown. Atthe outer free ends of the members 12 we provide the pipe engagingmembers 14, which preferably have'keys .15 set therein, said keys beingsquare or diamond shaped in cross section and engaging the pipe 10 withone of their sharp edges. Between the two members 1 1 we connect ourpipe engaging jaw 16, which is flexible and preferably comprises aflexible chain connected at opposite ends with the mem bers 14. Vi eprefer to use a flexible-chain for this purpose, although otherconstructions ma be used instead. A spring mechanism '17 serves tonormally press the pivoted members 12 apart; so that when pressure isrelieved, the members will be forced apart and the jaw chain 16 will bepulled toward a straight line position. This provision 1 is both for thepurpose of raising the pipe engaging members let from the pipe upon'each backward stroke of the wrench and also for throwing the members 14;apart so that the wrench maybe easily applied to a pipe without thenecessity of manually separating the two members 14.

The spring mechanism 17 is shown in detail in Fig. 3. It will be notedthat each of the members 12 is double, each comprising two bars 12 oneon each side of the lever handle 12. Rods 20 extend transversely betweenthetwo opposite bars 12 of each pivoted member 12'; and thespringmechanism 17 is confined between these two transverse rods 20.Aspring 21 is confined between heads 22 and 23, head 22 resting againsta nut 24 screw threaded upon a sleeve 25, and head 23 being mounted upona sleeve 26, sleeve 25 preferably working in the sleeve 26. Pins 27 aremounted upon the cross bars 20 and enter the two sleeves 25and 26. Thespring 21 is set in proper tension by adjustment of the nut 24; andexpansion of the spring tends to throw the cross rods 20 away from eachother and to throw the pivotedmembers 12 away from each other abouttheircommon center 13.

We employ means for holding the wrench upon a pipe of any size, saidmeaiisholding the flexible jaw against the pipe. As a specific form ofsaid means we prefer to utilize a flexible member such as a chain 30attached at one end as at 30 to one of the members 14. Provision is madefor securing Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

the other end of the chain to the end of lever handle 11. We prefer toprovide a removable and renewable plate 31 having teeth or projections32 upon which the chain links may be engaged; the plate being removablyheld on the handle 11 by screws 33 or other suitable means. lhus, whenthe plate 31 becomes worn or broken it is not necessary to renew thewhole handle.

It will be seen that our wrench may be applied to pipes of greatlyvarying sizes; and that the flexible pipe engaging jaw conforms exactlyto the curvature of any pipe, being-pressed closely and intimately intoengagement with the pipe so that a large bearing surface is formed.Great pressure may be exerted upon the pipe in order to obtain acorrespondingly great purchase thereon without any liability of crushingor deforming the pipe.

Having described a preferred form of our invention, we claim:

1- A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a plurality of jawsupporting members movably mounted upon the handle, a flexible pipeengaging jaw attached between the movable members, and means to hold thejaw against a pipe.

2. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a plurality of jawsupporting members pivoted each at one end to the handle, a flexiblepipe engaging jaw attached at opposite ends to the free ends of thepivoted members, and means to hold said jaw against a pipe.

3. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a pair of jaw supportingmembers each pivoted at one end to the handle, a flexible pipe engagingjaw comprising a chain attached at opposite ends to the free ends of thepivoted members,.and means for holding the flexible jaw against the pipeembodying a chain attached at one end to one of the pivoted members, andmeans for securing the other end of the chain to the handle.

4. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle,'a pair ofjaw supportingmembers pivotally attached at a common pivotal.

point to said handle, a flexible pipe engaging jaw comprising a chainattached at opposite ends to the free ends of the pivoted members, andmeans for holding the flexible jaw against the pipe embodying a chainattached at one endto one of the pivoted members, and means for securingthe other end of the chain to the handle.

5. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a pair of jaw supportingmembers pivotally attached at a common pivotal point to the leverhandle,,pipe engaging members pivotally attached one to the free end ofeach of said pivoted jaw supporting connected between the two pipeengaging members, and means for holding the pipe engaging chain and thepipe engagingmembers against a pipe, said means embodying a flexiblechain attached at one end to one of said pipe engaging members and meansfor securing the other end of the chain to the lever handle. w

7. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a plurality of jawsupporting members pivoted each at one end to the handle, and springmeans tending to throw the two pivoted j aw supporting members apartfrom each other, a flexible pipe engaging jaw at-- tached at oppositeends to the free ends of the pivoted members, and means to hold said jawagainst a pipe.

8. A pipe wrench, embodying a lever handle, a plurality of jawsupporting members pivoted each at one end to the handle, and springmeans tending to throw the two pivoted jaw supporting members apart fromeach other, pipe engaging members pivotally attached one to the free endof each of said pivoted jaw supporting members, a flexible pipe engagingchain connected between the two pipe engaging members, and means forholding the pipe engaging chain and the pipe engaging members against apipe, said means embodying a flexible chain attached at one end to oneof said pipe engaging members and means for securing the other endof thechainto the lever handle.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed ournames this 81st day of March 1915.

ARTHUR ALLISON. JOHN WALTER KEY.

Witnesses:

KATHERINE SPANN, HARRY MCCANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G.

